Satellite information update system, positioning auxiliary information provision device, positioning auxiliary information provision device control method, positioning auxiliary information provision device control program, and computer readable recording medium having recorded therein positioning auxiliary information provision device control program

• US 7,242,348 B2
• Filed: 07/14/2005
• Issued: 07/10/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Nagahara, Mikio
• Primary Examiner(s): Phan; Dao L.
• Application Number:
  US11/180,696
• Publication Number:
  US 20060012517A1
• Time in Patent Office: 726 Days
• Field of Search: 342/357.01, 342/357.02, 342/357.06, 342/357.09, 342/357.13, 342/357.15
• US Class Current: 342/357.46
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/20 Integrity monitoring, fault detection or fault isolation of space segment
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/25 involving aiding data received from a cooperating element, e.g. assisted GPS
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/41 Differential correction, e.g. DGPS [differential GPS]

Abstract

A positioning auxiliary information provision device 30 has: a auxiliary information generation device to generate positioning auxiliary information including satellite information; a satellite information update necessity determination device to determine the necessity of updating the satellite information; a satellite information update notification information generation device to generate satellite information update notification information indicating that the satellite information needs to be updated based on the determination result of the satellite information update necessity determination device; a positioning auxiliary information transmission device to transmit the positioning auxiliary information via a mediation device 60 to terminal devices 80a to 80c indicated in provision target terminal information; and a satellite information update notification information transmission device to transmit the satellite information update notification information via the mediation device 60 to the terminal devices 80a to 80c indicated in the provision target terminal information.

Claims

1. A satellite information update system comprising:

a satellite base station having a satellite information generation device to generate satellite information based on a position-related signal from a Satellite Positioning System;

a positioning auxiliary information provision device being configured to communicate with said satellite base station; and

a plurality of terminal devices being configured to communicate with said positioning auxiliary information provision device via a mediation device to mediate communication,

said positioning auxiliary information provision device includes,

a satellite information acquisition device being configured to acquire said satellite information from said satellite base station,

a satellite information storage device being configured to store said satellite information,

an auxiliary information generation device being configured to generate positioning auxiliary information including said satellite information,

a satellite information update necessity determination device being configured to determine said necessity of updating said satellite information,

a satellite information update device being configured to update said satellite information stored in said satellite information storage device based on a determination result of said satellite information update necessity determination device,

a satellite information update notification information generation device being configured to generate satellite information update notification information indicating said satellite information needs to be updated based on said determination result of said satellite information update necessity determination device,

a provision target terminal information storage device being configured to store provision target terminal information indicative of said plurality of terminal devices serving as targets to be provided with said positioning auxiliary information and said satellite information update notification information,

a positioning auxiliary information transmission device being configured to transmit said positioning auxiliary information via said mediation device to said terminal devices indicated in said provision target terminal information, and

a satellite information update notification information transmission device being configured to transmit said satellite information update notification information via said mediation device to said terminal devices indicated in said provision target terminal information, and said mediation device includes,

a mediation device-side satellite information storage device being configured to store said satellite information included in said positioning auxiliary information acquired from said positioning auxiliary information provision device,

a mediation device-side satellite information update device being configured to update said satellite information stored in said mediation device-side satellite information storage device based on said satellite information update notification information acquired from said positioning auxiliary information provision device,

a mediation target terminal information storage device being configured to store mediation target terminal information indicative of mediation target terminal devices that are said plurality of terminal devices serving as mediation targets to be provided with said positioning auxiliary information,

a positioning auxiliary information transmission device being configured to transmit said positioning auxiliary information received from said positioning auxiliary information provision device to said terminal devices indicated in said mediation target terminal information, and

a mediation device-side satellite information update notification information transmission device being configured to transmit said satellite information update notification information received from said positioning auxiliary information provision device to said terminal devices indicated in said mediation target information, and each of said terminal devices includes,

a terminal-side satellite information storage device being configured to store said satellite information included in said positioning auxiliary information acquired via said mediation device from said positioning auxiliary information provision device, and

a terminal-side satellite information update device being configured to update said satellite information stored in said terminal-side satellite information storage device based on said satellite information update notification information acquired via said mediation device from said positioning auxiliary information provision device.

11. The satellite information update system according to claim 1, wherein

said plurality of terminal devices are configured to communicate with said positioning auxiliary information provision device via a mediation device to mediate communication via an Internet network and communication base station.

2. A positioning auxiliary information provision device being configured to communicate with a satellite base station having satellite information generation device to generate satellite information based on a position-related signal from a position information satellite, said positioning auxiliary information provision device comprising:

a satellite information acquisition device being configured to acquire the satellite information from the satellite base station;

a satellite information storage device being configured to store the satellite information;

an auxiliary information generation device being configured to generate positioning auxiliary information including the satellite information;

a satellite information update necessity determination device being configured to determine the necessity of updating the satellite information;

a satellite information update device being configured to update the satellite information stored in said satellite information storage device based on a determination result of said satellite information update necessity determination device;

a satellite information update notification information generation device being configured to generate satellite information update notification information indicating that the satellite information need be updated based on said determination result of said satellite information update necessity determination device;

a provision target terminal information storage device being configured to store provision target terminal information indicative of a plurality of terminal devices serving as targets to be provided with said positioning auxiliary information and said satellite information update notification information;

a positioning auxiliary information transmission device being configured to transmit said positioning auxiliary information via a mediation device to mediate said communication to said terminal devices indicated in said provision target terminal information; and

a satellite information update notification information transmission device to transmit said satellite information update notification information via said mediation device to said terminal devices indicated in said provision target terminal information.

3. The positioning auxiliary information provision device according to claim 2, wherein

said satellite information update necessity determination device is configured to determine whether all or part of the satellite information is invalid or not.

4. The positioning auxiliary information provision device according to claim 3, further comprising,

a coverage area information storage device configured to store coverage area information indicative of a coverage area within which said satellite base station is configured to receive said position-related signal from said position information satellite, and

an in or out of coverage area determination device to determine whether or not said position information satellite is positioned within said coverage area, wherein

said satellite information update necessity determination device is configured to determine that satellite information corresponding to said position information satellite is invalid when it cannot receive from said satellite base station satellite information corresponding to said position information satellite existing within said coverage area corresponding to said satellite base station.

5. The positioning auxiliary information provision device according to claim 4, wherein

said satellite information update necessity determination device is configured to determine that the satellite information corresponding to said position information satellite is invalid when it cannot receive from any of a plurality of said satellite base stations satellite information corresponding to said position information satellite.

6. The positioning auxiliary information provision device according to claim 5, wherein said satellite information update necessity determination device is configured to determine that the satellite information corresponding to said position information satellite is invalid when the satellite information corresponding to said position information satellite cannot be received within an allowable time range.

7. The positioning auxiliary information provision device according to claim 4, wherein said satellite information update necessity determination device is configured to determine that the satellite information corresponding to said position information satellite is invalid when the satellite information corresponding to said position information satellite cannot be received within an allowable time range.

12. The positioning auxiliary information provision device according to claim 2, wherein

said mediation device is configured to communicate to said terminal devices indicated in said provision target terminal information via an Internet network and communication base station.

8. A positioning auxiliary information provision device control method comprising:

acquiring satellite information from a satellite base station by a positioning auxiliary information provision device being configured to communicate with said satellite base station to generate said satellite information based on a position-related signal from a position information satellite;

storing said satellite information in a satellite information storage device using said positioning auxiliary information provision device;

generating positioning auxiliary information including said satellite information using said positioning auxiliary information provision device;

transmitting said positioning auxiliary information via a mediation device to mediate said communication to a plurality of terminal devices serving as targets to be provided with said positioning auxiliary information using said positioning auxiliary information provision device;

determining the necessity of updating said satellite information using said positioning auxiliary information provision device;

updating said satellite information when determining in the necessity of updating said satellite information that said satellite information need be updated using said positioning auxiliary information provision device to update said satellite information stored in satellite information storage device;

generating satellite information update notification information when determining the necessity of updating said satellite information that said satellite information needs to be updated by said positioning auxiliary information provision device indicating said satellite information needs to be updated; and

transmitting said satellite information update notification information via said mediation device to said plurality of terminal devices serving as targets to be provided with said satellite information update notification information.

13. The positioning auxiliary information provision device control method according to claim 8, wherein

mediating by said mediation device is done via an Internet network and a communication base station.

9. A positioning auxiliary information provision device control program adapted to run on a computer comprising:

code for acquiring satellite information from a satellite base station by a positioning auxiliary information provision device being configured to communicate with said satellite base station to generate said satellite information based on a position-related signal from a position information satellite;

code for storing said satellite information in a satellite information storage device using said positioning auxiliary information provision dcvice;

code for generating positioning auxiliary information including said satellite information using said positioning auxiliary information provision device;

code for transmitting said positioning auxiliary information via a mediation device to mediate said communication to a plurality of terminal devices serving as targets to be provided with said positioning auxiliary information using said positioning auxiliary information provision device;

code for determining the necessity of updating said satellite information using said positioning auxiliary information provision device;

code for updating said satellite information when determining in the necessity of updating said satellite information that said satellite information need be updated using said positioning auxiliary information provision device to update said satellite information stored in satellite information storage device;

code for generating satellite information update notification information when determining the necessity of updating said satellite information that said satellite information needs to be updated by said positioning auxiliary information provision device indicating said satellite information needs be updated; and

code for transmitting said satellite information update notification information via said mediation device to said plurality of terminal devices serving as targets to be provided with said satellite information update notification information.

14. The positioning auxiliary information provision device control program according to claim 9, wherein

mediating by said mediation device is done via an Internet network and a communication base station.

10. A computer readable recording medium comprising:

a positioning auxiliary information provision device control program recorded therein, said positioning auxiliary information provision device control program adapted to run on a computer comprising

code for acquiring satellite information from a satellite base station by a positioning auxiliary information provision device being configured to communicate with said satellite base station to generate said satellite information based on a position-related signal from a position information satellite,

code for storing said satellite information in a satellite information storage device using said positioning auxiliary information provision device,

code for generating positioning auxiliary information including said satellite information using said positioning auxiliary information provision device,

code for transmitting said positioning auxiliary information via a mediation device to mediate said communication to a plurality of terminal devices serving as targets to be provided with said positioning auxiliary information using said positioning auxiliary information provision device,

code for determining the necessity of updating said satellite information using said positioning auxiliary information provision device,

code for updating said satellite information when determining in the necessity of updating said satellite information that said satellite information need be updated using said positioning auxiliary information provision device to update said satellite information stored in satellite information storage device,

code for generating satellite information update notification information when determining the necessity of updating said satellite information that said satellite information needs to be updated by said positioning auxiliary information provision device indicating said satellite information needs be updated, and

code for transmitting said satellite information update notification information via said mediation device to said plurality of terminal devices serving as targets to be provided with said satellite information update notification information.

15. The computer readable recording medium according to claim 10, wherein

said positioning auxiliary information provision device control program includes code for transmitting said positioning auxiliary information via a mediation device to mediate said communication to a plurality of terminal devices via an Internet network and communication base station, said plurality of terminal devices serving as targets to be provided with said positioning auxiliary information using said positioning auxiliary information provision device.